The year 2001 is winding down and looking back we can see that a number of changes have taken place in the sportscard industry over the past year. This article takes a closer look at some of those changes... "Big Ticket" items vs. low to mid-grade vintage, how set collecting continues to grow, and how the Modern card market has weathered the storm. A look back, before looking ahead!
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The PSA Set Registry has had 25 new sets listed since the last eCollector. New composites added last week include the 1965 Topps baseball, 1960-61 Topps hockey, and the 1966 Topps baseball. Click here to browse.

Get involved with other collectors who are currently participating in the Set Registry program or are just beginning. Click here to chat on the New PSA Set Registry Message Board.

Subscribe to the online PSA Population ReportSMand the PSA Price Guide for as little as $4.95 a month! Updated weekly, get the latest census data on all cards graded by PSA. And get the current prices for your favorite sportscards.

At 38, Michael Jordan is back in basketball. Can he make magic for the Wizards? Well, he's in great shape, and many experts think he can. Though there may be debate on how magical his return will be, no one is questioning the spell of excitement that his return will cast!
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The Gold and Platinum PSA Collectors Club packages offer sportscard grading and subscriptions to the Sports Market Report and the online Price Guide and Population ReportSM. Click here and enjoy huge discounts!

Results from last survey: 37% said that Michael Jordan's performance is average so far this year. Click here for a complete breakdown.

The Expert's Corner

Modern Masterpiece - A Look at the 1986-87 Fleer Basketball Set
Great collections are works of art, and like art, some are true masterpieces. The 1986-87 Fleer basketball set is definitely a modern work of art. This article takes a closer look at the real artistry in this set... "tough, colorful and packed with stars," you might just want to start collecting it yourself!
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Our Readers Ask

Question: My son has a 1968 or 1969 Detroit Tigers baseball. Some of the signatures are Al Kaline, Willie Horton, and Mickey Mantle. It looks like the whole team signed the ball and we know that his grandfather was at the World Series in 1968. How can we determine a time frame or value for this piece? Also, we have the ball in a plastic case, is this the best way to preserve it?

Answer: The Yanks did not play the Tigers in 1968 or 1969 so I am trying
to figure out why Mantle would be there (maybe part of the pre-
game ceremonies, etc.). If it is a 1968 Tigers team ball, it
might be worth a significant amount of money (maybe $750-$1,500
depending on condition of the ball and signatures, etc.). The
best way to find out is to do more research within your family
and to look up the team roster for those years. Maybe, you can
match the signatures (assuming they are legible) to the roster.
The more research, the better. As far as preservation goes, a
plastic case is a good start, but make sure it is UV coated and
you must keep the ball away from direct light in a cool place.
Direct sunlight will fade the signatures even if the ball is placed
in plastic. The UV coating will help prevent fading but keeping
it stored is the key. You can display it, just make sure the
lighting isn't too strong.
--Joe Orlando, Editor Sports Market Report

BID NOW FOR YOUR FAVORITE SPORTS AUTOGRAPHS AND MEMORABILIAOdyssey's Winter 2001 Autographs & Memorabilia Auction is now in progress
and features a wide array of exciting entertainment, presidential, historical,
in person autographs and memorabilia as well as offerings from sports legends
such as Hank Aaron, Muhammad Ali, Lou Gehrig, and Joe DiMaggio. Click here
to bid.